▶ It’s Not Built Yet, But Already 412 North Wells Looks Awesome

A couple of days ago, our Daniel Schell had a chat with Howard Hirsch, the president of River North architecture firm Hirsch Associates. In that conversation, Mr. Hirsch told Mr. Schell about a video that was made last month showcasing his firm’s new 412 North Wells building (above). Word of the video got to me, and I couldn’t help but wonder, “What’s 412 North Wells?”

Consulting the Handy Dandy Map of Chicago Developments, I found out that 412 North Wells is the nine-story office building portion of the larger project we’ve been following by the name of 205 West Hubbard. You remember that one, don’t you? It was once dubbed the “Railfan Residences” because of its epic CTA Brown and Purple line views.

412 North Wells goes one further, featuring a facade that curves to match the bend in the CTA’s elevated tracks.

The video also shows the rooftop garden and amenity space, with a view of River North, Near North, and the Gold Coast.

There’s been some intermittent activity in the surface parking lot that this project will replace, but no permits or other construction to report just yet. It’s perhaps not entirely surprising considering the logistics involved in constructing a skyscraper next to an active, and electrified, rail line.